Most Nollywood films are made quickly and cheaply. A film might be filmed in just a few weeks, with friends and neighbours helping out. Because they are made fast and made for everyone, they reach a huge audience across Africa and beyond.
Nollywood films are watched by millions of people. Families gather in living rooms to watch them. They are streamed on phones across the continent. They are shown on planes flying over Africa. A film made in Lagos can be watched in Nairobi, in London, in New York - sometimes on the same day.
Nollywood didn't always exist. It really took off in the 1990s when video tapes became cheap. Suddenly people could film a story, copy it onto tapes, and sell them at the market. From those market stalls, Nollywood grew into a huge industry that employs over a million people in Nigeria today.
Most Nollywood films are about family, friendship and everyday life - parties, weddings, schools, neighbours. Many are funny. They are made in English, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and other languages. People often say a Nollywood film is like sitting at the dinner table with a Nigerian family.